Hair-cutting implement



M. B. BEHRMAN. HAIR CUTTING IMPLEMENT. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25' 1919.

I Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

llllllglllililli UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAIR-CUTTING IMPLEMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application filed September 25, 1919. Serial No. 326,320.

To all whom it may con cern Be it known that I, MARCUS B. BEHRMAN, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Tompkinsville, in thecounty of Richmond and State of New York, have'invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Hair-Cutting Implements, of which the followingis a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in hair-cutting implements of theclass intended to be used by a person in cutting or trimming his or herown hair, although capable of being used by one person for cutting ortrimming the hair of another person.

one object of my invention is to provide an implement by means of whicha person may conveniently cut or trim his own hair to such length orstyle as he may prefer, the implement being one to be held in one handand having. adjustable parts, whereby the user may control the extent ofthe cutting action of the implement.

My invention contemplates the use of a commercialtype of safety-razorblade and preferably comprises a a rear member which may be utilized asa handle and as a comb and a front member against either face of whichthe blade may be held, an outer hinged clamping, blade retaining andguard member, and an inner hinged comb-plate member to be adjustedtoward and from said front member and serving to aid the user insecuring the character of hair-cut that he may desire.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed descriptionhereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying'drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top View of a hair cutting implement constructed inaccordance with and embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same taken on the dotted line2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the implement;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View corresponding with Fig. 2, but illustratingthe parts differently arranged from the condition shown in Fig. 2, thecutting blade in Fig. 2 being shown on the inner face of its supportingplate and the inner comb-plate being shown in its operative position,whereas in Fig. 4 the cutting blade is shown on the outer face of itssupporting plate, the inner comb-plate is shown in its upper inoperativeposition and the outer clamping plate is-shown in an general framehaving upper position ermittin the ositionin of the cutting bl de, and gp g Fig. 5 is a ment, the cutting-blade in this instance be mg shown aslocated against the inner face of its supporting plate.

In the drawings 10 designates the general frame of sheet metal bent andfashioned to form three members, to-witz a top member 11, a reardownwardly and outwardly extending combined comb and handle member 12and a forward downwardly and outwardly inclined guard and bladesupporting plate member 13, the whole preferably being in one integralpiece of sheet metal and serving to carry the other portions of theinstrument. The member 12 extends laterally to a suitable extent and isslotted to form comb-teeth 14, which prior to the use of the instrumentfor cutting or trimming the hair, may be utilized as an ordinary combfor smoothing the hair. The forward member 13 serves for the cuttingblade 15, said blade in this instance being of the well known Ever-Ready type having a sharpened outer edge and provided at its inner edgewith a folded head 16 affording shoulders at opposite sides of theblade. The plate member 13 is formed at its outer opposite side edgeswith integral inturned inner lips 17 to receive the perspective view ofthe instru as a support and guard 13 is also formed at its said edgeswith the I corresponding outer lips 18 which may be utilized to hold theblade 15 when it is desired to secure said blade against the outer faceof the plate 13,. as shown in Fig. 4.-. The lips 17 are utilized tovreceive the blade 15 when said blade is placed against the inner face ofthe plate 13. The plate 13 is, also, slotted to form comb fingers 19which also serve as a guard, the lower ends of said fingers alwaysprojecting below the edge of the blade.

Upon the upper surface of the topll of the frame 10 is secured anupwardly and rearwardly' curved sheet metal plate 20, and this plate 20at its opposite end edges is formed with perforated ears 21 in which arelocated projections or pins 22 connected with the clamp, cover and guardplate 23, said ears 21 and projections 22 serving as means for hingingthe plate 23 to the plate 20.

The plate 23 is preferably in one integral piece of sheet metal andcomprises an upper downwardly and forwardly inclined section 2 1, anintermediate curved section 25 and a forward and downwardly extendedsection 26, said section 26 being adapted at its lower edge to engagethe outer face of the blade 15 or the outer face of the plate 13, as thecase may be. The intermediate portion 25 of the plate 23 serves as astop to engage the upper edge of the blade 15 and prevents said bladefrom sliding upwardly, Fig. 2. The blade 15 is preventedfrom slidingdownwardly by the engagement of its head 16 with the forward edge of thetopmember 11 of the frame 10. The upper central portion of the plate 23hasv a tongue 27 slit therein, and this tongue 27 engages the face of astrip of flexed spring metal secured to the plate 2O at an openingformed therein. The spring 28 serves to yieldingly bind the plate 23 inits closed and open positions shown in Figs, 2 and 41 respectively.

, Below the forward portion of the topmember 11 is hingedly hung aninner combplate 29, said plate having at its upper opposits cornerssmall projections 30 which are pivotally held in 'apertured ears 31rigid with the aforesaid front guard 13. The plate 29 is a flat plateand has comb teeth 32, and at one edge said plate 29 is engaged by aflexed leaf spring 33, which serves to bind said plate 29 in itsoperative positionshown in Fig. 2 when said plate is to be made use ofor in its inoperative position up under the top member 11 of the generalframe when said plate is not to be employed, as shown in Fig; 41. Theplate 29 may be turned downwardly or upwardly by the pressure of thefinger, as occasion may require. It is very desirable that the plate 29be capable of adjustment toward and from the guard plate '13, so thatthe character of the cut of the hair maybe regulated atwill,

and hence I provide the plate with an adjusting screw 35 which may bescrewed against the guard plate 13 (or against the cutting blade 15should the latter be at the back of the plate 13) and thus control therelation of said plate 29 to said plate 13.

In the use of the implement I would first preferably smooth the hair,especially if long, by means of the comb member 12. The plate 23 maythenbe raised and the blade 15 inserted downwardly against the innerface of the guard plate-member 13, thebody of the blade being insertedthrough a slot 36 at the forward corner of thetop-member 11 and thenbehind the lips 17 and said blade taking the position in which it isshown in Fig. 2. V

The plate 23 may then be turned down- .wardly to its operative position,and the comb-plate 29 turned downwa'rdly and adjusted by means of thescrew 35 as may be required. Thereafter the operation of cutfingeron-the plate 23. The instrument may then be moved against the hair andthe blade 15 will out 01f such portion thereof as may be permitted bythe teeth 19 of the plate 13 and the teeth 32 of the plate 29, thelength of the removed'portion of the hair being materially governed bythe relation of the plate 29 to the blade 15 and this relation beingunder the control of the operator who will position said plate 29, asmay be required, so as to permit a deeper cutting 01f of the hair oronly a slight trimming off of the hair, as may be preferred. The nearerthe plate 29 is adjusted toward the blade 15 the longer will be thelengthofhair removed, and by the sensitive pressure of the hand againstthe frame 10 the operator may remove such different lengths of hairfromthe various parts of the head as may beappropriate or meet his views.

When it may be desired to out the hair quite close in parts or all overthe head, the plate 29 may be turned to its extreme front position, orasnearly so as necessary, and when it may be desired to out the hair veryclose all over the head the plate 29 may be turned to its inoperativeposition and the blade 15 placed against the outer face of the platemember 13, as shown .in Fig. 4. The implement will then produce a veryshort hair-cut and may also be used as a safetyrazor, the member 12 thenserving as a handle therefor.

The implement may be handled and ad- A further method of using theimplementand which I regard as important may be mentioned. In the use ofthe device withthe plate 29 in one adjustment, the spring 33 acts tohold the said plate in its given position in opposition to the pressureof the hair against and moving between the teeth of said plate. In theevent that the hair should be thick and long, the operator may byholding the device with one finger, his second, for instance, placedagainst the inner face of the plate 29, allow the thick hair to pressthe plate 29 farther from the blade. and thus cause the device to cutoif a shorter length ofv where it is desirable to remove a longer lengthof hair, the operator may by the pressure of his said finger turn saidplate 29 forwardly to its original adjustment.

I do not confine my invention to the precise embodiment thereofpresented herein as illustrative of the invention,'since I desireadequate protection for my invention.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. A hair cutting implement of the character described comprising ageneral frame affording a top and a downwardly and outwardly inclinedfront toothed member, a razor blade mounted on said front member, a cover-plate for said front member, a toothed adjusting plate hinged at itsupper edge back of the upper portion of said front member and to beadjusted at its lower end toward and from said member, and means forlocking said hinged plate up under said top when said plate is to beplaced out of operation.

2. A hair cutting implement of the character described comprising ageneral frame affording a top and a downwardly and outwardly inclinedfront toothed member, a razor blade mounted on said front member, acover plate for said front member, a toothed adjusting plate back ofsaid front member and normally standing substantially parallel therewithand secured at its upper end back of the upper portion of said frontmember and at its lower toothed edge to be adjusted toward and from saidmember, and means for securing said plate in its adjusted positions.

3. A hair cutting implement of the character described comprising ageneral frame affording a top and a downwardly and outwardly inclinedfront toothed member, a razor blade mounted on said front member, acover plate for said front member, a toothed adjusting plate hinged atits upper edge adjacent to said front member and to be adjusted towardand from the same, and means for binding said plate in its adjustedpositions.

4. A hair cutting implement of the character described comprising ageneral frame affording a top, a front toothed member and a rear memberand being slotted at the up per'end of said front member, and said frontmember having blade retaining lips at both sides thereof, a razor bladehaving a head and adapted to said slot and to the lips on either side ofsaid front member, and a cover plate for said front member having a stopshoulder to engage said head.

5. An implement of the character described comprising a general frameaffording a top, a front toothed member and a rear member and beingslotted at the upper end of said front member, and said front memberhaving blade retaining lips at both sides thereof, a razor blade havinga head and adapted to said slot and to the lips on either side of saidfront member, a hinged cover plate for said front member having a stopshoulder to engage said head, and spring means for releasably lockingsaid cover plate in its open and closed positions.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, this 23rd day of September, A. D. 1919.

MARCUS B. BEHRMAN.

WVitnesses:

ARTHUR MARION, Sims. 0. GILL.

